Will of the Sky
by Valahex-Mercury
Summary: There was once a power goddess named Martel. She came to chosen ones of hers in their dreams. From there, she would unfold her own desires and trickery. In the Feudal Era, Martel choses to entertwine times and fate; The Band of Seven, and three young girl
1. Will of the Sky Information

Will Of the Sky

Will Of the Sky

Information

**Not really a chapter, is it? Yeah, I'm going to take a crack at it anyway… -clears throat- Um, hi, I'm Valahex-Mercury and I'm new here to . As my first story, I'm making Will of the Sky and it's mainly about this girl named Kotone Kin who got her voice taken away by a girl from the present named Sloane. Sloane comes back to the Feudal Era at the time where the Band of Seven had gotten resurrected. Sloane doesn't travel with Kotone during the first arc, which is where Kotone is held hostage.**

**Now, there are some key points to the story. Um, since Kotone doesn't talk during the first 2 arcs (In which there are 4 arcs), a character will most likely be talking for her, this mostly likely being Aerynn. Also, I'll be using the traditional way of saying names in Japanese, so Kotone Kin in English would be reversed to Kin Kotone in Japanese. Also, there are 4 main arcs to the series and two important subplots. These are:**

**Band of Seven Arc—this goes just as it does in the series, but their life has been prolonged since the story depends on Bankotsu and Kotone falling in love. Yes, their love is important. Oh, and the rest of the Band of Seven needs to live too. Well…yes, yes, they all need to live. No mix up here.**

**Broken Harp Arc—this is the arc where Kotone's harp—the harp given to her by Sloane back when she was young—breaks and shatters. Also here is the ****Holy Strings sub-arc. **

**Shattered Mirror Arc—this is the arc where the mirror Sloane put Kotone's voice in shatters and Kotone can talk. Also in this arc is the ****Forbidden Truth sub-arc. ****This arc is where we get to know more about the main villain.**

**Martel Arc—this is where we find, confront, and defeat the main antagonist, including containing Naraku.**

**Now, I intend for my story to stop at the Broken Harp Arc -points to above- Well, at the end of it, actually. Sorry.**

**Once it stops there, I MIGHT go on a brief HIATUS, just to leave everybody in suspense. Each arc ends with the next arc's beginning. For example, the harp shatters at the end of the Band of Seven arc. Alright, I think that's about it…hmm…oh, wait. Will of the Sky will be followed up by a sequel in which the plotline will continue. The sequel will be called Might of the Heavens. Hey, wouldn't it be screwed up if I started on this and never—never mind. Any, I hope you enjoy!**


	2. Will of the Sky Prologue

Will of the Sky

Prologue: Confrontation

**This is the only part of the story told in 3****rd**** person unless I say otherwise. The rest is either from Kotone (1****st**** person) or anybody else's perspective. Just wanted to get that squared away -Oh, and any word in parentheses () are words I'll define at the end of the story.**

In the small village of Ai, near the river where music was always playing and laughter was always heard, a small girl along with her sisters was wading by the river with a small basket of her dirty kimonos. The six sisters laughed and splashed water on each other and played their small (sakuhachi)'s. The youngest, a small ten year old named Kotone, was the only one actually focusing on washing her clothes. Kotone smoothed her golden hair behind her hair, her sky blue eyes staring into the emerald lake waters below. Since both of her parents were brunette, she was a rarity—a gift from the gods or a little bundle of trickery from Martel.

Kotone was different in more ways than just her physical appearance. She was the only one in her family that could not play a traditional instrument. Her sisters and her mother and father could play the sakuhachi and the (koto) and the (shamisen), but she herself could not. She would always stay sitting in the corner, never in the limelight, staring at her sisters as their long slender fingers made beautiful music. Kotone only watched, wanting eagerly to run her fingers over the strings of the shamisen, to let her fingers dance over the holes of the sakuhachi and to make the beautiful music that her family was famed for. She decided to go to the Hoshi Lake, named for all the stars that stood over the lake at night, and pray to the goddess Martel to give her the gift of music and normality.

That night, Kotone walked alone to Hoshi Lake, where the stars lit the sky and the Hoshi Lake glowed gently. Kneeling down at the edge of the lake, Kotone pressed her hands together and bowed her head.

"Oh goddess Martel," She pleaded, "Give me the gift to play music just like my family. Let me have their dark hair and onyx eyes. Please, revoke this curse and give me the normality you meant for me!"

As soon as Kotone had finished her prayer, a girl dressed in strange clothes with long orange hair and green eyes came from the water holding a mirror. With her fingers, she coaxed Kotone's voice away from her throat. Then she gave her a golden harp in return and left, sinking back into the glowing water. Kotone tried to speak, but could not. Instead of getting normality restored, she was even more of an outcast than ever. She stuffed the golden harp in her kimono and walked home.

That night, Kotone returned home, downtrodden. Her eldest sister, Takara, came towards her and asked:

"Kin Kotone, where have you been?" Her bare foot was tapping on the wood, her black hair plaited long down to her waist. Kotone' eyes welled with tears as she tried to speak. "Kotone, if you refuse to answer me, then go to your room and wait for mother and father to come home!"

Kotone did as she was told, tears rolling down her cheeks. She sat in her room and cried, not daring to come out least summon the wrath of Takara.

All of a sudden, a window shattered and screams were heard. Kotone ran to the crest of the stairs and stopped, looking down. Village men were holding field tools—axes, sickles, hoes—and murdering her sisters violently. Kotone could not scream; only watch in horror as blood washed over the staircase. The men turned slowly, their eyes the same glow as the Hoshi River. Kotone ran as the men came closer to the staircase, swinging at the air. She ran up the stairs and down the long hall to her room, shutting the door and running to the window. Staring down at the village from the window, she jumped out and hung onto the windowsill with her fingers. She waited until the men came into her room to fall.

Kotone let go of the windowsill, falling to the ground. The men looked down and saw her unmoving frail frame. The glow vanished from their eyes as they fell asleep, their heads hanging out of the window. Kotone stood up, dusted herself off, and ran, ran far away from her village, the village that had been chosen by Martel to be her play toy. So, without a voice and queer in the land, Kotone wandered alone until she could find a suitable place to remain, playing the golden harp as her only companion on her lonely journey.


	3. Will of the Sky 1

Chapter 1: Resurrection

_What good is it to live a life that brings pain?_

_-Aeschylus_

It certainly wasn't a simple life living without a voice. I wandered the lands without a word to speak. When a kind old woman greeted me, I could not reply with honey sweet words. When a rude child snapped at me, I could not cut back with sharp words. No, I kept all of my responses in my mind and only gave a silent nod with a smile or a stony glare with a toss of my head. I only strummed my small golden harp, my fingers plucking and sliding over the strings making the beautiful sounds that enchanted people to flock around me whenever I sat and played it. They would stare at the strange instrument, my sword, or me. Then I would stop playing and—like moths released from the trance of a flame—they would go back to their original tasks. Then I would be alone again only left to play my harp.

Once, I was walking along the path of a sparkling lake out of a small village. I saw waving red flags in the distance, probably signaling a castle. So I broke off from the river path and walked towards the castle. The area around the castle was foreboding, and I felt evil resonate from it. Pressing on still, I walked towards the castle wanting a place to stay for the night.

Once I reached the gates of the castle, the guards there were chatting quietly, complaining about wanting to return home. I finally reached the gates and took out my harp, strumming the strings gently. A honey sweet sound radiated in the air that made the guards turns towards me. They held out their spears no doubt wary of the sword nestled in my obi. I strummed my harp again; a peaceful melody coming from it. The guards lowered their spears, their eyelids falling over their eyes. They fell to the ground as I stopped strumming my harp, holding it in my hands. I heard the inner castle doors open as the lord of the castle and his servant came towards me. I frowned and stared ahead, watching the grayed man look over my small frame.

"You, golden haired maiden, tell of your business here at my castle." The lord demanded. I shook my head and pointed to my throat, my eyes turning sorrowful.

"My lord," The servant said, turning towards me, "I do not think she can speak."

"Nonsense; she is merely holding her tongue. We'll see how well she holds it when we chop it off!"

I shook my head fervently, walking towards him and bowing, grabbing his hand. With my finger, I started to write a message in his palm. The lord read slowly as I wrote. "My…lord…excuses my…rudeness…for I…cannot…speak. I…have been…silenced by…the goddess…Martel."

"Th-the goddess Martel?!" The servant yelled in shock. "Milord, cast her away; she'll be nothing but trouble!"

The lord stared down at me as I tucked a lock of my golden hair behind my shoulder. My blue eyes looked down. "It is not in our nature to turn away a maiden in need. We shall take her in."

"B-but!"

"Prepare a guest room for the maiden immediately!" The servant ran in as the lord took my hand and started to lead me in. "What is your name, young maiden?"

I took out my harp and plucked it gently, pointing to the golden frame. "Gold…harps? Harp sound? Gold harp sound?" I nodded. "Kin Kotone. Very well then, Kotone. Stay as long as you'd like."

I dusted off a part of my dark blue kimono and smiled warmly at the lord, letting him lead me inside.

Inside the castle, the lord and I walked past a room with a large halberd. I stopped in front in it, staring at it with wide eyes. The lord hadn't noticed that I had stopped, and therefore kept moving without me. When he reached the staircase, however, he noticed me not in the hallway. No, I was in the room, approaching the halberd cautiously. I stopped in front of it and reached out to touch it, but a firm hand grabbed my wrist and lifted me onto my feet. The lord was standing above me with a stern look.

"Kotone, this is the honorable sword Banryuu, testament that we had defeated the Band of Seven, including their leader, Bankotsu."

Sounds strong, I wanted to say. All that came out was a little yelp as he pulled me along up the stairs. Then he took my hand again gently and led me up to a lavishly prepared guest room. The room smelled of cherry blossoms and had light streaming in from the setting sun. I smiled and bowed as the lord smiled in return.

"You can stay as long as you'd like to. New clothes are laid out for you."

I nodded as she shut the door behind him. And so began my stay in the lord's castle for a good few hours.

-Sloane's POV-

"Kagome, I've been traveling with you forever and I still don't understand the Feudal Era."

"Neither do I, Sloane."

"What are you two yammering on about?"

I had been traveling with Kagome, my sister Aerynn's good friend, and her Feudal Era friends Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara for a while now. Ever since the first time she came through, I had been there for her. Inuyasha was a damn brute, Miroku was a damn pervert, Sango was plain…bitch crazy! And Shippo was…well, he was alright. And so were Kirara. And Kagome.

I remembered one time I had come to the past without Kagome. I had gotten terribly lost along with Aerynn, but she ended up being the damn little monkey in the group and getting her and I out of the past and back to the present. I ended up hacking and slashing and maiming and everything else to get us back to the ridge where we had to literally monkey bar our way down a line of trees to get back home!

Still, even after all that, I traveled with Kagome to and fro the past and present. Inuyasha was a bit rude, but I learned to deal with him just like Kagome did. As we walked the pathway, Inuyasha seemed to be brooding over the battle we had with the fat man Mukotsu. Well, Sesshomaru had finished him off to be exact. We were afraid we had almost lost Kagome and Sango and Miroku and Aerynn. Not that I went and punched the ground like Inuyasha did, though. Most of my time was spent trying to get him to calm down.

"Sloane? Sloane, wake up, sleepy head!" I heard Aerynn chirp. I smiled and ruffled her hair.

"I'm awake." I smiled and hugged her.

"Sloane, Aerynn, you two are falling behind and dragging us down!" Inuyasha yelled from the front. "Hurry up!"

"GO screw yourself, mutt!" I yelled, my orange hair flowing behind me as I ran to catch up. Aerynn also ran behind me, her orange curls bouncing over her shoulders.

We were on Mount Hakurei, trying to see how something as evil as Naraku could shield himself there. Something today was annoying me, scrambling my thoughts and picking at my mind. Something was happening, a terrible happening going on somewhere nearby. The Band of Seven had been resurrected. What would their leader do first…?

Then I gasped. The Band of Seven should be…

-Regular POV-

…Attacked. The castle I had stayed in for just a few hours was attacked by the resurrected Band of Seven. I was hid in the closet with my harp until the attackers passed. Thinking back, the Band of seven was bloodthirsty and ruthless and they would kill man, woman and child, young and old, and I was frightened. I stayed silent (well, I didn't really have a choice) and gently grasped my harp as I heard a large explosion. I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. I couldn't even scream. I leaned back on the wall as I heard footsteps. I gasped and pressed myself against the wall, sweat rolling down my cheek. I stood and put my hand on the hilt of my sword, glaring at the door. I heard footsteps stop and then I heard voices.

"Hey, think there are some goodies in here, Renkotsu?" I heard a womanly voice ask.

"I don't know. Open and see." A gruff voice replied.

I gripped my sword and shut my eyes as light trickled into the closet. I took my sword out, my heart beating heavily. I saw faces and shocked expressions. I was caught, but not stuck.


	4. Will of the Sky 2

Chapter 2

_When a match has equal partners then I fear not._

_-Aeschylus_

I had swung my sword in a large arc, hearing a sharp drawing in of breath. I was running down the hall, afraid for my life at the men that had invaded the castle. I wondered where the lord of the castle was. Probably dead, I thought to myself. The castle and the areas around it were destroyed. There were still small blooms of fire still on more flammable planks of wood, and there was still a sort of metallic guard roaming around the castle yard. Still keeping my sword out, I started to move towards the smallest house of the yard where the sake was kept. I raced across the courtyard nimbly with my bare feet, pressing myself against a shrine wall as the metallic man-tank turned in my direction. He stopped, and I held my breath, my long bangs latching onto my forehead like thick golden leeches. The tank-man started moving again as I inched forward. I collided with a hard breastplate and looked up. A boy about a year my senior with long black ebony hair and deep blue eyes was staring down at me. I held my sword out; trying to hide the trembling that moved the sword of its on accord. The boy chuckled and held his halberd to my neck. I gasped, not wanting to make a move.

"You should put that knife away before you hurt yourself with it, girl." I closed my eyes and turned away, stilling my hands and holding my sword up. The boy laughed and grabbed my hair, pulling me along by his side. That's when the two men from the room came out, the one with a scarf holding his nose which had a deep nick in it. "Ah, Renkotsu, Jakotsu, there you are. Find anything to eat?"

"No, but we found a little bit—there she is!" The womanly one—the one I thought was Jakotsu—exclaimed. "That's the one that cut Renkotsu!"

"So you DID cut someone other than yourself. Well wench, you'll pay the price for hurting one of my comrades."

I got an annoyed look on my face. The boy was so close to my height it wasn't even funny, and here he was threatening me. My eyebrows furrowed as I kept staring at him. He stared at me, but the game got fairly short. I wrenched my head out of his grasp and glared at him, my eyes reflecting just one of the many rude and razor sharp comments I would have spoken if I had not been silenced. The boy grabbed my wrist tightly, like a lockjaw, not letting go even as I pulled fiercely. The boy only chuckled and pulled me along to where he was sitting before.

I was tossed to the ground, my sword landing besides my head almost nicking my nose just like the man Renkotsu I had cut. I froze, waiting for the sword to stop rocking back and forth on the hand guard. After it came to a standstill, I got on all fours and grabbed it, wrapping my sweat laden palms around the hilt and putting it back in its sheathe. The young boy and Jakotsu sat on either sides of the barrel of sake, dipping their cups into it and then sipping it.

"Hey, girl." The youngest said, grabbing my hair and pulling me onto my bottom. "Serve us our drinks. You'll be our little slave from now on."

I had a look of heated defiance on my face. Even when the boy held the dish out, waiting for the drink to be poured inside, I kept the look on my face and refused to pick it up. I stared down into the liquid and felt my anger rise inside of me. The youngest prodded me with the dish, his brow furrowing. He was getting impatient. I cast a sharp glare at him and with a swift arc of my hand, the dish had been slapped out of his hand and it shattered onto the ground. The four men in the vicinity of the incident looked at me in shock. My eyes were staring at the youngest, burning, waiting, wanting him to do something. The boy and I glared at each other, neither of us making a move to their weapon. We were in tense silence.

"Big brother, aren't you going to do something?" Jakotsu asked.

"Big brother" stared at me for a few moments and then—unexpected and quickly—I was on the ground holding my stinging cheek. I was drenched in sake, smelling strongly of fermented rice wine. I stood up and sighed in relief; the violet kimono under the blue one was not soiled. I untied my obi, tossed the blue kimono away, and tied the obi back over the violet one. I unsheathed my sword, glaring at the leader and pointing the blade at him. He chuckled and smirked, pointing behind me.

"I would happily kill you, but it sees we have company."

I turned and saw a wolf yokai spin into the castle grounds. He had black hair tied up into a ponytail and pupil-less electric blue eyes. The furs he wore were tanned. Jakotsu waved.

"Hey, Koga!"

"So you must be the Band of Seven, am I right?" He asked ignoring Jakotsu's greeting. His head slowly turned towards me. "Who the hell are you?"

I held my head down, sheathing my sword and turning away. I wanted to hide my tears; I couldn't talk and answer my possible savior. Koga growled and turned back towards Jakotsu and the boy. "So, you must know where Naraku is."

"Gee, Naraku sure does have a lot of enemies, huh Jakotsu?" The youngest said. He turned to him. "Do you think we can really trust him?"

"You're the only one that's seen him closely. How should I know?"

"If you won't tell me willingly, I'll kill you!"

Koga ran towards the youngest, ready to attack when Jakotsu countered with a long snakelike sword which Koga easily dodged. Koga ran to attack again, but got shot at with cannons. I gasped as the youngest stood up and picked up his large halberd. I gasped. It was _his_? The boy I had so openly been defying had a weapon of that magnitude? I looked at my own sword. It was small, made of metal with a black hilt. The blade was slightly blued. It had been given to me by my sister Takara just days before her murder. I sighed in memory of her and clenched the sword in my hands. I watched as Koga was cornered by the youngest with the halberd. All of a sudden—

"Move, you wimpy wolf!"

A dog hanyou with a sword just as big as the halberd jumped in front of Koga, swinging down and intercepting the boy's attack. Jakotsu looked very excited to see the boy.

"Inuyasha!" He called.

"Shut up!" Inuyasha retorted quickly. I took it that Inuyasha didn't like Jakotsu very much. Inuyasha's head turned towards me and he pointed an angry finger at me. "Who the hell are you; a secret member or somethin'?" The accusation stung me. "Well? Are you gonna' answer or not!?"

"'I cannot talk. I am sorry.'" A young girl's voice said. I looked ahead and saw an orange curly haired girl walk towards me slowly. Could she read my mind? "'My name is Kin Kotone. I'm being held against my will. I'm surprised; you can hear me. I've forgotten my voice, young girl. What do I sound like?'"

"Aerynn, who are you—"

I gasped, and the older girl with longer hair stared at me, mouth agape. I glared at her, anger burning my heart and pushing tears to my eyes. It was her; she had taken my voice from me!


	5. Will of the Sky 3

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Enemies' gifts are no gifts and do no good.

-Sophocles

I glared at the girl for a long time. She just stared at me blankly, like she was staring into a mirror that had her reflection smiling back at her. I crouched down and held my sword in front of me, ready to attack. The girl just stared at me. Then the hanyou came forward again, causing me to snarl.

"What's your problem, girl?" He asked rudely.

"'She…'" The young girl started, "'she took my voice from me and now she'll pay.'"

I ran towards the girl, lifting my sword over my head and swinging down. The girl moved, slowly, like being held back by a heavy fog. My rage was driving me to be quick and swift, to hurt this girl mortally, to give her a taste of the pain I had felt so for many long years! I swung wildly, not thinking; just attacking. The smaller girl came in front of the eldest, taking out a small throwing knife and intercepting my sword with it. I slashed the knife out of her hands and shoved her aside, slicing the front of the eldest shirt. She yelped and held the gaping hole that revealed a strange device that bound her breasts back. She blushed and closed the opening. The chain around her neck sported a small mirror.

"Sloane, are you alright?" A girl's voice chimed. I turned and saw a strange miko heading our way.

"This girl just ripped my uniform, Kagome!" The eldest said, pointing at me.

"Who is she? A part of the Band of Seven?" The next girl was a taijiya, and she carried along a small yokai kitten, a kitsune, and a monk. I shook my head, turning towards the Band of Seven.

"That girl is our slave." Jakotsu said, pointing to me.

I put my sword away, seeing that fighting with the eldest girl made me seem like an enemy.

"What's your problem?" She asked, closing up her shirt. I glared at her; like she didn't know. "Are you a part of the Band of Seven?" I shook my head.

"Sloane, we should sew up that shirt…" The miko said.

"No! I'm going to fight this girl first." Sloane pulled out a sword.

A storm was raging in my mind. I was angry, furious at the girl standing in front of me. She had given me more curses than gifts. My whole life was a big curse. What good would come from a life like mine? I was so unhappy; nobody would help me. Snarling, I lunged again, determined to kill Sloane.

She and I went back and forth, the sounds of metal ringing through the air. All was still, and neither side attacked the other; they watched the girl and I do battle. I tripped the girl as she fell on her bottom. Then I walked towards her, smirking. She was finished; there was no way she was going to win. She looked up at me, and I stepped back. It was a flicker of the pain I had seen in my own eyes all the years of my living. Then I lifted my sword over my head. Weakness would not prevent me from killing the girl. I swung down, and then my eyes widened as a sharp pain entered by stomach. The smaller girl was crouched down, her small dagger in my stomach. My sword dropped to the ground as I followed, holding my stomach.

"Leave my big sister alone." She snarled, taking the dagger out of my stomach. I winced and held my stomach, choking out some blood. "Why did you attack her anyway? She did nothing to you; why don't you leave her alone?"

I shook my head; they could never understand what the woman had done to me. I hissed as I was picked up by my stomach and tossed over a strong shoulder. Then I saw only black…pure darkness.


End file.
